WALLINGFORD, Conn. — New details are emerging into the urgent evacuation of a Wallingford nursing home. The facility is being shut down by the state in a rare and drastic move.
“It's a total shock. I’m still in shock,” said Gregory Brooks, a resident at Quinnipiac Valley Center. “Everybody in there is crying and hugging.”
Mairead Painter in Connecticut’s Long Term Care Ombudsman. She said, “This is not something that they do often or regularly. And for the state to have this level of concern.”
All 94 residents will be evacuated.
“All I got was a knock on the door saying in 72 hours you are out of here,” said Brooks.
The move comes following two recent deaths and at least seven violations related to infection control, medication errors, patient neglect, lack of leadership and improper staffing.
Commissioner Dr. Manisha Juthani of the Connecticut Department of Public Health called the situation ”absolutely unacceptable…” and went on to say, “We no longer have confidence that the facility can keep its residents safe.”
Speaking only to FOX61, a former registered nurse at Quinnipiac Valley named Sara said, “I actually left the facility because I felt like my license was in jeopardy.” She continued, “I didn’t have basic supplies for them. My husband actually had to go out and buy me cleans to prevent skin breakdown on their bottoms because the facility didn’t provide me with cream anymore. They told me to make it work.”
In a statement, the nursing home operator, Genesis Healthcare responded, “Quinnipiac Valley Center is committed to the safety and well-being of our patients and residents.”
But Karen Hansen said that’s laughable. She showed FOX61 pictures of her beloved mother, Bette, as she loaded her vehicle with her mother’s belongings.
“It just rips my heart out. I haven’t slept in a couple of days because I got some calls saying they forgot to give her vital meds this week,” said Hansen.
She described another recent incident.
“She was bleeding profusely through her fingers because an aide was cutting her nails which they are not supposed to do, they are supposed to file,” said Hansen. “Thank God I come every day because I could see what was happening and what she needed.”
The nursing home is now being operated by a temporary manager to oversee the relocations, which will occur over the next 72 hours. The residents will be relocated to other nursing homes across the state. It’s not an easy situation for the elderly, especially those with Alzheimer's and dementia.
The last time the state ordered the evacuation of a nursing home was in 2020 at the now-shuttered Three Rivers facility in Norwich.
The state has informed Quinnipiac Valley Center that they are now subject to possible fines and their operator's license potentially being revoked.
Matt Caron is a reporter at FOX61 News. He can be reached at mcaron@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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